This application claims the priority of DE 10343684.7, filed Sep. 20, 2003, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a method for selecting a target vehicle that is located in front of a vehicle in driving direction of the vehicle, and more particularly, to a method to control a distance between the following vehicle and the target vehicle, comprising recognizing a preceding vehicle selectable as the target vehicle when a sensor unit has detected an object in front of the following vehicle in the driving direction and a selection condition is satisfied for the object, indicating a presence of the selectable preceding vehicle to a driver of the following vehicle and selecting the selectable preceding vehicle as a target vehicle by a confirmation of the driver.
Such a method is generally disclosed, for example, in DE 410 71 77 A1, in which a vehicle driving in front is detected by image sensors, and the image is displayed on the screen of a display device. If the image of the vehicle ahead is within an image monitoring window, this vehicle is selected as the target vehicle as soon as the driver actuates a control switch. The image monitoring unit then automatically tracks the target vehicle.